“Five days, Nian’er,” thirty-two-year-old Gu Changsheng said gently, resting his warm, calloused palm on top of his twelve-year-old son’s head and ruffling his neat black hair. “Not a single hour longer.
Once we finish inspecting the ten station platforms today, linking the eleven-world home defense grid, and packing your mom’s favorite braised pork ribs, we’re heading straight through the Sector 6 border. We don’t keep Mom waiting.”
“And Little Fifth is already practicing his biggest hug so Mama’s feet don’t even touch the cold floor!” three-year-old Ao Xing announced proudly from the railing beside them, spreading his chubby arms as wide as they could go before giving Gu Nian’s neck a warm squeeze.
With a cheerful CHOOO-CHOOO of the dragon-whistle, Locomotive #1 pulled smoothly out of Golden Lantern Station on its scheduled midday corridor-wide inspection run.
Inside the panoramic observation carriages behind the engine, thousands of first-time civilian passengers. Farmers from World #8 carrying baskets of golden wheat, iron-smiths from World #2 bringing newly forged woks, and herb-apothecaries from World #4 trading honey-pills. Chatted excitedly as the train glided through the sunlit diamond-glass sky-tunnel.
Yet as the train approached the major planetary interchange stations, a few older commuters glanced out the windows with lingering nervousness.
